Howling at the moon
by Bethisdarylslight
Summary: Daryl is a wolf and has never told anyone. Beth discovers when Daryl saves her from some walkers. At first she is freaked out but she keeps his secret and is there for Daryl. They survive together and develop feelings for eachother. Set during episode 13 of season 4. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1 - Girl who cried wolf

Howling at the moon

Daryl had never told anyone about what he was. He didn't want to face the judgement or the risk of being killed or exposed. It was in his blood; he was a Dixon. Merle was also a wolf and they were in the same pack. But now Merle was dead. So he was the last wolf standing that he knew of. He tried to stay away from people as much as possible; but this became difficult once the world turned to shit. Back at the farm, he would stay as far out into the wilderness as possible and at the Prison, he would turn when he hunted. Now that the prison was destroyed, it was even harder to transition because all he had was Beth and they couldn't risk leaving each other's sides.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Beth said between laughs.

"Not fast enough" he replied and lifted her into his arms, bridal style.

The door slammed open and she giggled, had a toothy smile on her face as she was carried through the kitchen and set down in a chair. Daryl moved around the table and sat opposite her.

"Alrigh' lets eat" Daryl said as as the both started on their pots of peanut butter and cups of diet soda. Beth was smiling, once again. She had changed Daryl, she called him up on his bullshit which no one ever had. He had to try and control himself before he decided to shift into his wolf form and did something he regretted- not hurting her, but exposing himself. She had made him have the slightest bit of hope in finding their family.

After a pause, Daryl spoke. "Gonna hafta go huntin' b'fore we run outta food." He stated, looking at her briefly. "You need ta stay here and rest tha' ankle." He said, gesturing to her injured foot.

She nodded slowly and Daryl could sense her unease at him leaving her. "Don't worry, I'll be back." He said reassuringly.

She smiled softly, "I know... It's just-I.. what if something happens out there." She stumbled.

Beth had no idea what he was capable of. "I'll be fine, Don't gotta worry 'bout me."

She nodded again. They sat and finished their white trash brunch in silence. Once completely finished, Daryl was preparing to go out and find some food for them. He grabbed his crossbow, even though he wouldn't need it. He would hide it so that it looked like he was taking it. They were both stood in the hall of the funeral home.

"I'll be back in a couple hours"

"Be safe, Daryl."

He nodded in her direction before opening the door and leaving. Beth was concerned about Daryl going out there alone. She tried to think positive thoughts. Daryl is strong and will always come back, she kept repeating to herself. Rather than worry, Beth decided to try do something useful which she hoped would also keep her mid off of Daryl and the fact that she was now alone. In a zombie apocalypse. With a broken ankle.

Beth cared about Daryl. She wasn't sure if she cared about him as a friend or in a brotherly way, or in a deeper, more intimate way. She froze for a moment. There was no way she had feeling for Daryl Dixon, right? His piercing, stormy blue eyes, shaggy hair, broad shoulders. His calloused hands... Yeah, she was screwed. But there was no way she would ever feel the same way about her. He didn't see her that way, she just relied on him too much because she couldn't defend herself. The thought made her angry at herself for being so useless.

When Daryl left, he placed his crossbow behind the house and checked around for any sights of Beth, walkers or people. Seeing no one, he started to remove his clothes and started to feel his bones crack and pop into place before he fell on all fours as a wolf. Daryl was a mousey brown colour, the same as his hair and his eyes were the same colour, except they stood out more against his furry form. He stretched slightly, not having shifted into a wolf for some time and started to run slightly through the woods.

He couldn't deny that it felt great, refreshing almost. The breeze brushing through his fur and his ears. The feel of his paws on the ground. He had missed it. He started to wonder if there was any more wolves that existed apart from him. Merle was dead, he never got to grieve for him as a wolf without his howl waking everyone in the prison. He missed Merle. He was his brother. But especially so when he was a wolf. It would be just them, going around the peaceful forest at night, howling up at the moon in the starry sky. But now, it was just his other family. Hell, he didn't even know if they were alive. Beth had hope, but he wasn't so sure. The only thing he had now was Beth. He cared about Beth. There was something about her that made him see life in a different way. They were brought up in completely different backgrounds and he was a wolf for christ sake. But when she called him up on his bullshit like no one else would dare to do, he saw her in a different way. She was definitely not the scared girl who tried to kill herself at the Prison, she was more than that. She was a woman, a survivor.

Three hours had passed and Daryl had managed to find six squirrels and a rabbit. That was the perk of being a wolf in the zombie apocalypse. He could fend for himself, for Beth. Didn't need to rely on anyone for anything for anything. He did though. He did trust people more now. Rick, Beth, Carol, Glenn, Michonne, Maggie, Tyreese, he thought Carl was a good kid. He didn't trust Bob. He was still pissed at him for the alcohol incident. He trusted Merle, Andrea, Lori even though they are gone now. Just a memory.

Back at the Funeral home, Beth was getting anxious. She had just finished looking around for things that could be useful to them. She found some first aid bandages in the bathroom. She found some packs of beans and more jelly in the lower cabinets in the kitchen. He should be back by now, she thought. Pacing around the hallway, she opened the door so that a sliver of daylight poured in and made sure there were no walkers around before she opened the door fully. Seeing nothing, she stepped out onto the porch of the house.

"Where are you Daryl?" She asked, quietly to herself.

Walking further out of the porch, she saw what appeared to be Daryl's crossbow lent up against the wood of the side of the house. Her eyebrows furrowed and she started to panic. Why would he leave his crossbow? She then started to worry, imagining the worst case scenarios in her head about what has happened for him to be gone for so long. Fearing the worst, she went back inside the house and retrieved her knife before making her way out into the woods. It was nearly dark but Beth couldn't lose Daryl. She couldn't be alone. She knew he would definitely protest against her wandering around the woods with her sprained ankle, but she had to fund Daryl.

Daryl had taken much longer that he would have liked because he had sniffed out a herd that was pretty large and did not want them to make their way to the funeral home. Being a wolf, he could run fast and be light on his feet. He thought quickly and had to direct them away from the direction they were currently going in. He dropped the squirrels and rabbit by a tree and made his way in front of the walkers. He growled when they saw him and he ran around them and in the other direction that they were going. He moved slowly enough for them to still see him and follow him. Once they were a aafe distance away, he turned and hid in a bush before they continued in the way that he had led them. He returned back for his squirrels and rabbit snd started to make his way back before the sun set completely.

Wandering through the woods, Beth could see some tracks but they were not Daryl's. They appeared to belong to an animal of some kind, but she had no idea what. She stopped following them.

"Daryl?!" She half whispered and half shouted out. There was no reply. She started to get frantic. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes and it stung. Her vision was going blurry and she tried to call out again. There was still nothing, not even the sound of movement nearby. By now her tears were streaming down her face and she decided she would have to go back to the funeral home and hope that he returned. Just as she turned around she could hear rustling, followed by low moans.

She swiftly turned around and faced two walkers coming her way. She managed to lunge her knife into the head of one walker but it got stuck. She frantically tried to pull it out but the other one had grabbed her. She tried to get out of it's grasp but she got pulled down to the ground. She was crying hysterically now; the walker inches from biting her arm.

Suddenly, the walker was being pulled off of her and when it was off of her, she saw a huge wold that was a beautiful brown colour and had beautiful bright eyes. She was transfixed by this animal that had just saved her. The wolf ripped the head off of this walker and it was finally dead. Slightly scared, she looked up at the animal who seemed to have calmed down instantly. She looked into it's eyes and the wolf seemed to have a concerned look on it's face. The eyes of this beautiful creature looked very familiar. As it was standing over her, she slowly, tentatively reached out her hand to touch the wolf that seemed almost afraid of her. It clinched at her touch and she couldn't help but notice how familiar the animal's reactions were to a certain redneck that she was looking for. She shook her head, thinking she was being ridiculous.

She was gazing up into it's eyes and then she froze. She was hit with realisation. This creature couldn't possibly be Daryl, could it? But it makes sense, Daryl being a hunter, being so reserved from everyone else, the flinching and most importantly, the eyes. She was having a mental debate with herself. The dead roam the earth these days so she figured that this could be a possibility.

Confused Beth stuttered. "D-Daryl?" she wiped her tears away with her sleeve as she sat up. The wolf backed away from her to give her some space and strangely enough, he lifted his head slightly almost nodding. Before she knew it, she felt dizzy and everything went black. 


	2. Chapter 2 - Recognition

Chapter 2 - Recognition

When Beth woke up, she felt disorientated. She rubbed her eyes and had to adjust to her surroundings before she slowly sat up. She looked around and realised she was just led out on a fluffy, maroon rug, in the living room of the funeral home. Alone, she panicked. "Wh- Daryl? Are you here?" She paused, trying to remember what happened before she clearly passed out. Then it all came flooding back. She rubbed her eyes with her palms. "I had the weirdest dream tha-" she trailed off. She could hear a rustling sound and then the wolf from her dream appeared in the doorway, looking up at her with concerned, puppy-dog eyes; holding a water bottle between it's teeth.

She gasped slightly, shocked that her dream wasn't a dream anymore and that Daryl was this creature. He stepped towards her haltingly; not wanting to freak her out even more. When he approached her he gently lowered the water in front of her as if to say "drink it, Greene" and she watched him; she was fascinated by Daryl in this form... Not that she wasn't when he was a human but she couldn't quite process this. She smiled at him and reached out to stroke him. He would still flinch at the contact, but she wanted him to know she was grateful.

He backed away from her as soon as he gave her the water. Even in wolf form, she could still read his emotions just by gazing into his eyes. She noticed that Daryl was reluctant to come close to her and she figured that it was because of his sudden change and he was probably worried that she would leave him.

"I- I get why you didn't tell anyone about this Daryl... But please don't shut me out. I'm not going to judge you and I swear I won't tell anyone.. I care about you." She paused, smiling shyly and looking up into his eyes again. "Thank you for saving me, again."

He gave a small nod and she picked up the water bottle and started to drink. Once finished, she sighed and smiled at him. "So that's your secret to surviving the zombie apocalypse, huh?" She teased. "I always wondered how you were made for things now." She laughed lightly.

He moved closer to her slightly still looking vulnerable in this form. She reached out and lightly brushed her fingertips over his silky, brown fur. "You're so soft." He moved his head back and she laughed. "Sorry, that was weird.." He made a noise and she had to stifle a yawn. She realised it was getting late and Daryl could obviously sense her tiredness; he also felt exhausted because of the long day they had both had.

"So... When do you turn back? I mean... You do turn back, right?" She asked the timid animal curiously. He nodded his head and she felt a calming sensation knowing that she was talking to a wolf; this beautiful creature that was Daryl, in this screwed up world. And he understood her!

"Alright, well i'm gonna go upstairs.." She said with a sleepy expression on her face. Beth walked over to the door and turned. "Come up whenever, Daryl. I don't want to be alone." She added before hobbling out of the room.

Daryl stepped through the hallway and went outside to collect his clothes. He picked them up in his mouth and went back into the hall where he then shifted back to his human form. His muscles ached from all the running and being that he hadn't changed in a long time. He stood up and sighed before stretching. He went back outside to retrieve his bow and then came in, making sure everything was locked up.

Beth was getting into the Queen sized bed when Daryl walked up. He lingered in the doorway, unsure of whether to join her in the room or not. She turned around when she heard the light knock on the wood.

"Hey." She beamed up at him.

"Hey." He delicately stepped into the room and was gauging her fave for any kind of rejection. "Beth.." He breathed. "M' Sorry I freaked ya out.."

"Don't be." She stated simply. "At first I was scared a little, I mean... I had to process it; It's not something that happens every day but it's still you Daryl, Nothing's changed. Your secrets safe with me." She whispered sincerely.

Daryl started to place his pack on the floor. Beth looked at him like he had two heads. "Daryl... We can share the bed, it's huge. And besides... I'd feel safer that way." She blushed, looking away. Daryl walked around the other side of the bed and carefully lowered himself down on the overly comfy mattress, trying not to jostle her too much. She felt the weight shift and turned to face him, still looking up at him in awe.

"Did you get anything, hunting?"

"Yeah. Got some squirrels and a rabbit." He said. "M' Sorry I left ya all by yerself."

"Daryl Dixon. Stop apologising." She fake scolded. He smirked and replied with a "Yes M'am."

"Good." There was a long, comfortable silence until Beth spoke up. "Will we go look for the others tomorrow?" Her eyes were filled with hope which was something he admired about Beth.

"Can't wit' that ankle. Ya need ta rest up fer a bit, maybe the day after."

Beth nodded. "Do you miss it?" She asked, anxiously.

"What?" He looked down at her.

"Being a wolf... I guess you don't get to do it as much.."

He shrugged. "I like being outside, but It's not good ta change too much."

"Oh." She paused. "Daryl?"

"Yeah?"

"I like that you're a wolf. It's beautiful." She gazed up at him and his lips turned up into a small smile.

"Beautiful? Girl I think ya hit yer head too hard when ya fell." He chuckled.

She moved closer to Daryl and rested her head on his chest, under his chin and wrapped her arms around his torso; pulling the blanket over them both. He was shocked at first, and unused to the physical contact. This was very intimate for Daryl. But Beth was different, he cared about her and she cared about him. He wouldn't lose her.

"No, Daryl. You are." She replied softly before falling asleep in his arms.

He carefully wrapped his arm around her waist. He smiled at her last sentence, not really making sense. She was a fighter, Beth Greene. Damn stubborn, too. He admired her for that. That was his last thought before he fell asleep, comfortably for the first time in a long while.


	3. Chapter 3 - Feel Something

Chapter 3 – Feel something

Daryl woke up when he felt jerking movements and heard whimpering sounds. He looked at Beth who was no longer in his arms; thrashing about and obviously experiencing a nightmare. He reached out and lightly shook her on the shoulder "Beth, Beth.." He called, softly. She continued moving around and she was hysterically crying now.

He shook her slightly harder this time and her eyes shot open and she sat up, tears streaming down her face. She looked around, shivering from the cool night air as she came back into reality. Glancing at Daryl, Beth sniffled. "I- I dreamed that I was alone and everyone even you were dead." before throwing herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck whilst burying her head in the crook of his neck; where his shoulder meets his neck.

Daryl placed his arms around the small of her back, pulling her to him. He hated to see Beth cry, damn bear broke his heart. He would protect her, physically and mentally. "S' alrigh'" he soothed, "I'm here, Nothin's gonna happen."

After a while, Beth's sobbing subsided and she pulled back from Daryl enough to look into his eyes. "M' Sorry Daryl. It's just... I couldn't cope if I lost you." She said, a frown on her face.

"I won' ever leave ya, Beth." he confirmed, his voice raspy from lack of use. Beth nodded and cuddled into his side more, still shivering slightly. She placed her head on his chest and her arms back around his torso. Once she was comfortable, she sighed softly. "Hmm... you're so warm, Daryl."

Daryl smirked and placed his arms around her waist, clutching her tightly. "S' cause I'ma wolf, We're always warm."

"Well it's nice for me, 'cause I'm always warm now." She beamed.

"Oh so ya think i'm ya new body warmer now huh?" He chuckled.

"Yeah, and you better get used to it because I'm always gonna be sleeping next to you."

"That so? I'm gettin' the feelin' tha' i'm bein' taken advantage of." He gave her a half smile.

"Not just because you're warm, Daryl. I like sleeping next to you... You're comfortable" he chuckled and she continued "You make me feel safe and I just feel better when I'm close to you." Beth explained, blushing. Daryl didn't know what to say, no one had ever wanted to be near him out of choice and he had never had anyone rely on him like that before.

"I like bein' around ya too." He murmured, barely audible. He felt Beth smile against his skin and he shuddered at the sensation of it. Before they both knew it, they had fallen asleep once again.

When Beth woke up, she was surrounded by Daryl's warmth. His arms were securely wrapped around her and their legs were tightly intertwined. She could feel Daryl's light breathing tickling the shell of her ear. Thinking back to last night when she made Daryl share the bed with her, she didn't think he would give in so easily, since when they camped out he made such a big deal of 'sharing body heat' as she called it. She laughed at the memory and thought about where they were right now.

Beth could easily stay like this forever. She would have easily, if she didn't have the sudden urge to use the bathroom. She turned around and glanced at Daryl's face. She felt endeared, he looked so peaceful when he was asleep, and so much younger. All the stress was gone from his face and Beth instantly felt a wave of guilt for how much she relied on him. She decided she would let him sleep for as long as possible; he clearly needed it since he was usually the first awake.

Beth gently detangled her legs from Daryl, trying not to wake him in the process. He stirred slightly before he tightened his hold on her. After a pause, she tried again. This time, Beth was successful. Daryl stirred again and turned to face the wall. Made sure he was still asleep before tip toeing over to the bathroom. She was still thinking about how adorable she thought he looked when he was sleeping. She wanted him to get as much sleep as possible. Changing into a werewolf must be exhausting.

Then, realisation hit her. Did she love Daryl? She cared about him a lot, and she wanted to be around him all the time. She couldn't deny she thought he was very attractive. They would both do anything for each other and Beth thought back to the conversation on the porch of the Moonshine shack; how Daryl had opened up to her. She knew that he rarely opened up to anyone, unless he really trusted them. Beth looked at herself in the mirror. She shook her head, thinking about how Daryl wouldn't feel the same way; he probably saw her as a younger sister. She picked up some fruity smelling cream and tried to open the bottle. The bottle slipped from her hands and fell onto the floor. She prayed it didn't wake Daryl up.

Once she had finished in the bathroom, she crept back into the bedroom and noticed he had rolled back over, still asleep. Beth crept back into the bed and turned to face him. She reached out and softly brushed his jaw, his cheek and back down to his shoulder. She liked the feel of his skin underneath her fingertips. His eyes fluttered open and he smirked at her. "What are ya doing?" She jumped and put a hand on her heart. His voice was gravelly from sleep.

"How long have you been awake?" She asked, still startled.

"Long enough ta know ya went ta the bathroom an' dropped somethin'" he chuckled.

She playfully swatted his arm. "I'm so sorry." She put her hands on her face.

"Nah S' alright, I need ta get up..." He said, rubbing his palms into his eyes. "Ya can stay here if ya want."

"No, I'll join you." Beth smiled. Beth stood up and stretched, following Daryl down to the kitchen of the funeral home. Beth started to rummage through the cupboards. She collected some jars of jelly and some cans of beans. Daryl was watching her until she tried to reach for a can of peaches on the top shelf. Her cardigan had risen up so that a sliver of her creamy skin was showing. Daryl felt his face heat up and he tried to avert his gaze from it. He wondered if her skin was soft and suddenly felt an urge to touch it. Shaking his head violently, he walked up behind her and grabbed the can down for her. His hand brushed her side slightly and it felt like an electric shock on her skin.

"Shouldn' be puttin' too much weight on tha' ankle." He pointed out, opening a jar of pigs feet. He sat down in one of the chairs and watched her walk over to the other one. He dipped his finger into the jar and licked it.

"Gross!" Beth mock scolded as she watched him, contently.

He smirked at her and defended himself "I am half animal ya know."

Beth laughed as she watched him licking his fingers, mesmerised by it and was thinking about other things that he could be licking. She turned red at the thought and looked down at her peaches. What was wrong with her? She thought.

Daryl was fidgeting around in his chair and Beth wondered if he hated being stuck in a house since wolves didn't live inside. "Daryl?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you hate living inside a house like this, since you're a wolf an' all?" She paused. "I mean- they aren't exactly house pets.." She smiled.

His eyebrows knitted together in thought before. "It sure as hell ain't easy, but can' do much 'bout it.." He shrugged to which Beth nodded.

"Well you look uncomfortable, you can go for a run or whatever if you want. Don't wanna trap you." She smiled. Daryl looked at her, he was thinking deeply from what she could tell.

"M' not leavin' ya by yerself. Somethin' could happen."

"No. It only did last time because I left the house. I know you can protect yourself. I'll stay in the house, I promise."

"Alrigh'" "If yer sure." Daryl looked at her and gave a silent look of approval and Beth nodded.

"Yeah i'll be fine. I'm gonna keep myself busy." Her voice calm as she looked at him.

"I'll be a few hours, rest that ankle, Greene." He smirked at her.

"Yes sir." She joked.

Daryl nodded before exiting into the hall. He quickly put his clothes down by the entrance and opened the front door and popped his muscles a few times; contracting and relaxing into his other form before running off into the forest.

Beth was looking through the house for anything interesting or that would pass the time. She had found a box labeled 'films' and was looking through the box. She had found some good films: Titanic, Romeo and Juliet, Jaws, Jurassic Park and Dawn of the dead. Beth scoffed, thinking about how Zombies did actually roam earth now. She also thought about the time that she had snuck downstairs to watch Dawn of the Dead when Shawn and Maggie had watched it. If her Daddy would have found out she would be in trouble. She smiled and looked around the house more more things to occupy her.

Looking around the house, Beth found a another box, but this one was filled with photos of people that used to co,e here in another world. There were photos of weddings, christenings, and other types of celebrations. Beth wished she had a camera, one to take photos of the people that she had lost. Her Mama, her Daddy, Shawn, Andrea, Lori. She also wanted one for the happy moments like Maggie and Glenn getting married, Judith, Carl and Rick and everyone else that was her family.

She got up and decided to do something useful. After putting the cans outside, she went to the back of the house and went out into the garden area. There were a few graves and a line of trees at the bottom that lead to the forest. She was looking around when something caught her eye. There was a well to the right of the house and she decided to see if it was connected to the water pipes of the funeral home. To her surprise, it was. A huge grin covered her face and a small squeal left her lips as she quickly ran inside and decided to try the taps. To her success she had running water and decided to take advantage of this luxury and have a bath upstairs. Beth collected some towels and shampoo from the bedroom before heading into the bathroom.

A few hours had passed since Daryl went out and when he came back, he was feeling much better. He wanted to check on Beth before he changed back, just to be safe. He walked into the hall and couldn't hear anything. He looked around the kitchen and she wasn't there but he saw that she had out the cans outside to collect rainwater which would definitely help them out. Daryl made his way to the stairs when he heard the sound of water. He started to creep up them, one by one. He was at the top of the staircase when he heard some sort of humming and knew that it was Beth. Slightly relieved, he waited outside, in the hall to see what she was doing.

As if on cue, the door opened and Beth emerged, in nothing but a towel clinging to her slender frame, her hair dripping down her back. Being a wolf he could smell her straight away; she smelt like honey and strawberries. It made his mouth water, even in this form. He could see the creamy skin of her legs that seemed to go on forever and he wanted to touch them. She was perfect. But this was Beth Greene; Hershel's daughter. A man he respected highly. Hershel would be ashamed of him.

Beth jumped a mile when she saw Daryl; obviously not expecting to see a wolf in front of her. "Oh my god! Daryl you scared the life out of me!" She breathed, placing a hand on the frame of the door to steady herself. "Look! We have water! I found a well out back and it was all connected!" She rambled. Daryl would never admit it but he though it was cute, the way she was so happy because she got some water. He scowled at her and she dropped her hands. "I know I shouldn't of left the house but I was just curious..." She lowered her head. He made a noise and she looked up."I'm gonna get changed, you can.." She gestured to the bathroom. "Use the bathroom if you want." She smiled as she reached down and patted his head.

Ahe lightly stepped into the bedroom before Daryl grabbed some clean clothes and traipsed into the bathroom. He slowly and painfully changed back and sighed before stepping into the bath. He was desperately trying not to think about Beth's large doe eyes and her pretty smile, her golden locks dripping as they trailed down her back. He thought about her creamy legs and how he wanted to touch her; God he wanted her. He was starting to get riled up when he suddenly thought of Hershel and it all stopped completely. Rinsing off and drying with one of the towels that Beth had left, he left the room to go and find her.

Daryl knocked onto the door. "Beth, ya decent?"

"Yeah, come in." She responded.

Daryl opened the door and was stunned slightly. Beth was stood in front of a full length mirror, wearing a pale yellow sun dress and she had her wet hair tied into a messy bun. She couldn't have looked more beautiful, he thought. She was trying to clasp her necklace around her neck but appeared to be struggling. She turned around to face him. "Daryl, could you?" She gestured towards her heart locket.

He looked awkward but before his mind could process anything, he found his head was nodding. Beth walked over to him and handed him the piece of jewellery. Daryl was stood there, with his hair dripping wet, covering his piercing blue eyes. She started having thoughts, inappropriate ones about Daryl. She wanted him; she couldn't deny it. Daryl slowly joined the metal around her neck, his fingers brushing her neck in the process. Once finished, he stepped away from her slightly and started to chew on his thumb nail, nervously. "Done." He mumbled.

"Thank you.." She smiled at him. Beth was walking over to him when she put her hands on his face, cupping it in her palms. "I didn't just mean for the necklace... I mean for everything, Daryl. I'm glad I left the prison with you..." She started absentmindedly chewing on her bottom lip, and it was killing him

He scoffed. "Ya can take care a yerself, Greene. Ya don' need me." And Beth hated it when he did that. Brushing off any kind of good thing that he did. Beth was grateful and he deserved recognition for what he does for the group.

Beth was shaking her head. "No Daryl! Don't do that! Don't brush off the things that you do for people as if they are nothing! You deserve credit, You're such a good person, Daryl. You've proven that so many times. You-" she was cut off when his lips crashed against hers.

Daryl couldn't take it. He had never had someone care about him so much in his life. But when this small, blonde woman came into his life she pulled him out of the dark, destroying his demons in the process. He knee this was wrong, so wrong, But he wanted no needed something good, and that was Beth Greene. He had to have her, taste her. So that's what he did.

Beth was shocked. Absolutely stunned in fact. She was about to kiss his cheek, thinking that he would find the lips too uncomfortable. But she was wrong. So wrong. She had wanted to kiss Daryl for such a long time and now she felt that everything was being released. Beth couldn't believe it; she was kissing Daryl Dixon. She couldn't be happier in that moment, Daryl felt the same way that she did. She wanted to be as close to him as possible in that moment.

The kiss started off soft and chaste, but then it turned needy and passionate. Beth put her hands around his neck and Daryl put his on her waist. She let out a soft moan and he felt all of his blood go south. She moved her hands up to his hair and tilted her head to get more friction. Their tongues were battling for dominance and Beth bit down onto his lower lip and his breath hitched into his throat. They pulled apart and that was when Daryl knew. Beth Greene was going to be the death of him.


	4. Chapter 4 - I'll always find you

**Thank you so much for the reviews guys! I will keep trying to write as often as possible but I appreciate all of the comments! Slabtown tonight yes!;)**

Chapter 4 -

_They pulled apart and that was when Daryl knew. Beth Greene was going to be the death of him_

Daryl pulled away and looked at Beth, he looked terrified like he had just seen a ghost. "Beth- I... I shouldn'-" he stumbled, his eyes wild.

"Daryl. It's fine." Beth reassured him, running her fingers up and down his forearms in approval.

"No Beth. Wha' would yer daddy say? Maggie, Rick, It's just wrong." He rambled on, his thoughts coming out in a disorganised fashion. Daryl lowered his head and Beth didn't understand what the problem was.

"Daryl... Look at me, please." His head reluctantly lifted and his eyes gazed into hers, the fear and rejection swimming around in his eyes. "It's fine. Daddy respected you, so much. You are a good man, Daryl Dixon. Everyone else knows so too." She smiled, encouraging him to accept what had just happened.

"Naw Beth. Can' happen again." He stated before walking towards the door pf the room. "C'mon we best go eat." Daryl looked ashamed and Beth couldn't understand why, she was going to kiss him anyway and she wanted to kiss him. She nodded and followed him out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen.

It Was relatively dark now; Daryl and Beth were sat next to each other at the small table, making a feast out of the jelly jars and coke bottles on the table. Daryl now had a spoon and Beth was writing something. Neither of them had mentioned the kiss.

Smiling, she stated "I'm gonna leave a thank you note." There was a brief silence before Daryl spoke.

"why?" He asked, his eyebrows arched in confusion.

"For When they come back... If they come back." Beth replied, her voice dropping a tone at the thought of what could of happened to the people.

"Maybe ya don' have ta leave that." Daryl gestured towards the note she was scribbling on. Beth stopped what she was doing and glanced up and over at him. "Maybe we can stick around here for a while" Beth raised her eyebrows. "Maybe nuts but... If they come back, I'll handle 'em."

Beth looked at him, a smile creeping onto her face when she thought about how far Daryl had come. He didn't have any faith before they were in the moonshine shack and after burning down his past, he seemed to be a whole different person. "So you do think there are still good people around... What changed your mind?" She asked.

"You know..." Daryl felt his cheeks get warm and looked down at his jelly.

"What?" She laughed lightly.

"I-unno." He mumbled, shrugging his shoulders.

"Don't 'I-unno'" she mimicked, "what changed your mind?"

Beth was looking over at him with her big doe eyes and he knew he wasn't good with words. He didn't want to say the wrong thing or be sappy. He just looked at her, hoping she would receive the message.

Daryl just gazed towards Beth. She was confused at first but then it clicked. She was the reason he believed in good people. She was unsure whether he was implying he had feelings for her or if he didn't mean her at all, but she wan't going to question him now.

"Oh." She spoke breathlessly, staring back at Daryl intently.

There was a rattle of tins followed by a dog bark that came from outside of the house and Daryl could see the hint of disappointment crossing her features. "Damn dog." He muttered under his breath." He got up and walked over to the front door and without thinking, he opened it. He was immediately faced with a herd of walkers moaning, scratching and clawing their way towards him and he yelled for Beth.

Beth limped out quickly with his crossbow and threw it towards him which he caught, swiftly. "Run!" He told her.

"I'm not gonna leave you!" She shouted over the walkers.

"I'll meet ya outside! Jus' go!"

Beth ran out the back and Daryl let the herd in and lead them down the stairs which was a basement that was obviously the funeral parlour. There were tools and a large table in the room and he was shooting his arrows in the process of leading them away, which had clearly led him to a dead end- literally. He shot the closest ones and used the table as leverage to hold the walkers away. They were reaching out to him but the table stopped them from getting him entirely. Thinking quickly, he darted under the table and ran before they could catch him, up the stairs; killing any stray walkers that were in his path. Once he was into the hallway, he went straight towards the kitchen door and swung it open, running around the back of the funeral home with his crossbow in his back and a few walkers chasing behind him.

"Beth! Beth!" He was damn near screaming frantically, trying to find her. He could not lose her too.

He got to the front of the house and noticed she was nowhere to be seen. He walked further out; close to the road and his heart dropped when he saw her bag, that had clearly been dropped wit all the contents falling out, on the floor. He turned when he heard a screech and that was when he saw it. The black car that had a white cross on it that was speeding away. He started to run after the car but realised it was no use. When the car turned the corner, he popped his bones and contracted his muscles until he was on all fours; running through the line of trees on the side of the road, behind the car.

Daryl could see the car and was following it. However, the car was coming to a stop. Daryl hid inside of the bushes, out of sight. He watched the scene before him play out but was ready to run incase the car took off again.

A few minutes had passed even though it felt like hours. Beth emerged from the car looking awfully nervous. He hoped that she had planned this for a distraction. Then a man opened his car door, he looked to be in his fifties; he had a beer belly, and didn't look too sharp and was holding a gun.

"Hurry up, blondie! We ain't got all day. The boss'll be happy to see what I snagged. Might even be lucky to have a go on you second!" He snarled, chuckling darkly. Daryl growled. A low rumble coming from his throat; in this form it was more prominent that it was a growl. The thought of Beth being raped made him sick to his stomach. Beth appeared to be stopping for a 'bathroom break' and he could see her looking nervous as she pulled the knife out of the holster on her jeans and shakily held in in her palm.

"Where ya gone, ya stupid bitch?" He sneered as he came from around the car and walked in the direction that she went.

Daryl found it extremely helpful and amusing that he was stupid enough to let her leave his sights; he knew she was going to attack her kidnapper. He was slowly stepping towards them, to Beth, when she crept out from behind a tree and in one swift movement, she striked. Stabbing him in the neck just as he reached for her. He groaned and slowly fell to the ground. She backed away from him when he reached out again and just caught her ankle.

Daryl ran forward and Beth jumped but then relaxed when she was able to recognise the glistening fur and the piercing blue eyes in the moonlight surrounding them. He dragged the man away from Beth and was fiercely attacking him. Beth was slightly scared of what he was doing but kept reminding herself that it was Daryl to know he would never hurt anyone he cared about. Once it was over the wolf turned and glanced up at her, concern filling his face once he noticed the gash on her cheek and the bruises that decorated the pale skin on her arms. He made a small whimper like sound and she crouched down and cupped his head. "I- I thought he was gonna-" the tears that had collected in her eyes were now falling down her cheeks and he placed his head further into her neck as a comforting gesture. He could smell her scent and felt a mixture guilt and relief knowing that she was still here and he managed to get to her in time.

The fur was soft on her skin and she relished in the moment. She lulled back slightly and stroked his back softly. "I knew you'd find me." She said, giving him a small smile. He nodded and she stood up, looking around as she realised that she had no idea where she was. She turned back towards her companion before he scurried off. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion, before she heard the sound of bones cracking and muscles changing shape. "Daryl?" She winced.

There were a few rustling sounds before he emerged from the bushes and was peering around a tree that covered most of his body. Beth realised he was naked and felt a blush creep up onto her cheeks. Daryl had an arm stretched out towards her; silently asking for some of his clothes. Beth zipped open her reclaimed bag and handed him a shirt and some of his dark jeans.

Once Daryl had changed, he stepped out in front of her and Beth threw herself at him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around his waist. She had nuzzled her head into his neck and Daryl just breathed in her sweet scent.

Beth peered up to look at Daryl; before lowering her gaze to his lips and back up again but before he could protest, she crashed her lips against his. Daryl was shocked, really shocked and part of him wanted to pull away but he felt an overwhelming sensation wash over him; it was too much for him to give a damn.

"Daryl..." She breathed. Daryl sighed softly after hearing his name tumble from her lips. His tongue ran over her bottom lip, begging for entry which she gladly obliged to. Their tongues were tangled together before Beth pulled away to look into his eyes.

"I wanna be with you, Daryl. I don't want anything else.." She spoke, confidently.

"But Beth, we- I'm not-" Beth pressed her fingers lightly to his lips, smiling slightly.

"Shh. Daryl Dixon you are one stubborn man." She playfully swatted him on the arm.

"Says you." He smirked and she fake gasped.

"When I want something, I won't stop until I get it." She grinned. "Do you want me, Daryl?" She asked with innocence.

After a while, he reluctantly nodded. "I'm double yer age Beth, yer Daddy wouldn't lik-" Beth cut him off again.

"Daryl.. I ain't a little girl anymore." She huffed in annoyance.

"God Beth ya ain't gotta tell me, _I know._ I see ya every day_._" He reassured her. "But I ain't got nothin' ta give ya. Ya deserve better th-"

"No Daryl. I deserve someone good, someone who can protect me, someone who cares and is attractive..." She trailed off, smiling at him. "I deserve you. And you deserve good things too, Daryl."

He blushed and bowed his head in embarrassment. "You hit yer head again?" He managed to ask, chuckling.

"No Daryl. You are attractive... But god I'm not about to have this conversation with you." She laughed.

"Yer too good fer me, Beth."

"Daryl. I'm gonna remind you every day that you are a good person. You deserve good things and that you are good for me. I _need_ you, Daryl." She said before kissing the corner of his mouth.

"I need you jus' as much as ya need me." He stated, clearly out of his comfort zone. Beth smiled and reached down to interlock their fingers. Daryl squeezed his hand around hers and ran his thumb across the back of her palm.

"So where we headed?" Beth glanced over at Daryl.

"Well I rekon tha' Rick woulda headed fer Terminus as a meetin' point. So we should head in tha' direction." Beth nodded and the both made their way to the train tracks.


	5. Chapter 5 - I'm yours and you're mine

**So guys I don't know if I should make Beth turn into a wolf at some point to mix it up a bit, inbox me your thoughts? Hope you like the chapter! Sorry I haven't updated in a while!**

Chapter 5 – I'm yours and you're mine

Daryl and Beth had been walking for a few hours and the sun was starting to set. Noticing that Beth was trying to stifle her yawns, Daryl stopped and turned to face her. "Need ta find a place to stay fer the night."

Beth looked up towards him, their eyes locking for a split second. "Yeah, are we gonna set up camp?"

"Naw. There's a cabin along these tracks, m'thinking we should go there." He explained, gesturing towards the horizon where the sun was setting, further along the tracks. Beth nodded abs they continued their journey.

Beth assumed Daryl was being his usual surly, quiet self because of the kiss they had shared when Daryl had rescued her. She assumed that it was because he had decided that he wasn't good enough, or that he was too old, or maybe even because he was half wolf which is ridiculous. She had known Daryl since the group came to their farm; she knew him as Daryl Dixon. The redneck who had a gruff exterior yet had a good heart deep down. She was not going to judge him now, he was a good man.

Breaking the deafening silence between them, Beth spoke. "Daryl?" To which he gave a soft grunt in acknowledgement.

"Does it hurt? I mean- turning into a wolf?" She asked.

"Nah. Y'Jus' get used ta it." It hurts when he feels his bones cracking and popping in all sorts of places and his muscles aching as they change form, but he was never going to admit that to her.

"Oh.. S'Just that the sounds that you make when you change... It doesn't sound... pleasant."

Daryl shrugged. "S'not the nicest a feelin's but can' do nothin' 'bout it so.."

"How long have you been one?" She said, smiling softly towards him.

"Wha's this, 20 questions?" He said curtly. "Since I remember. C'mon, we need ta keep movin'" He shrugged it off and started walking slightly faster. Beth also sped up to catch up to him and stopped when she was in line with him.

"Daryl! What the hell is wrong with you?" She snapped at him.

"Wha' you on girl? Ain't nothin' wrong wit' me." He sneered.

"You're acting like an asshole, Daryl. I think you are scared because you kissed me, and you're taking it out on me. It's bullshit!" Beth shouted, raising her hands in the air as a gesture.

"Is that what you think?" He asked, incredulously.

"That's what I know." She said confidently, crossing her arks over her chest, glaring up at him. Daryl leaned in so that he was only inches away from her face.

"I ain't afraid of nothing."

"Well kiss me then." Beth said, boldly. He stared at her for what felt like an eternity before she scoffed and continued. "That's what I thought. I know you look at me and you see another dead girl. I'm not Michonne, I'm not Carol, I'm not Maggie, but I survived and you don't get it 'cause I'm not like you or them, but I made it! And you don't get to treat me like crap just because your afraid-" she was cut off by Daryl smashing his lips onto hers.

The kiss was messy and unbalanced, but Beth moaned into his mouth and he placed one of her face so that it was cupping her jaw, the other on the small of her back. She placed her hands around his neck. The kiss became more passionate, more needy. Their tongues were battling for dominance and she elicited a small, breathy sigh from eventually broke apart; their foreheads resting against one another's, breathing softly.

Daryl stepped a few paces back and looked at Beth, shyly. Looking at his face, there was a mixed expression held there. His eyes were fill of lust yet he looked shocked and slightly nervous. "Shit. I'm sorry- I shouldn't-"

"Daryl, Stop. I wanted you to kiss me." She interrupted, effectively silencing him.

"No Beth, we can't do that again. You shouldn't want that, ya deserve better than some redneck asshole. Yer Daddy would shoot my ass." He said, his voice still gravelly

"No. Daryl, you don't get to decide what I deserve, I want you, Daryl Dixon. You are a good man. My Daddy respected you- we all respected you. You have done so much for this group and you are not a _redneck asshole. _I want to be with you." She said, smiling as she traced her fingers up and down his forearm.

"But why me? Ya could wait fer someone yer own age."

"Because I want you, Daryl. I don't want anyone else. You can't change that. You can track, hunt, you protect me, and I am attracted to you." She said, biting her lip as she blushed.

Daryl scoffed. "Ya hit yer head, Greene?"

"No." Beth giggled, playfully swatting his arm. "You're mine and I'm yours."

Daryl just placed his hand softly on her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. "Ya sure Greene?"

"Yes Daryl. I'm sure. I can be your mate." She joked. He smirked at her and they carried on towards the cabin.

When they arrived at the cabin, the sun was just disappearing and it was fairly dark out. Daryl and Beth walked up towards the porch outside and Daryl put a hand in front of Beth.

"I'll clear it out." He mumbled. Beth nodded and he knocked onto the door, waited two minutes and then carried on inside. After a few minutes, Daryl appeared in the door. "S'Clear." Beth followed him inside.

"There's a bedroom upstairs an' jus' this room here." He motioned around the room with his hand.

"I'm tired, let's go upstairs." Beth said.

Daryl looked like he was in deep thought before he reluctantly followed her upstairs. When they both climbed the stairs, it appeared to be a loft bedroom that was very cosy and had a window that let in the light from the moon that had now started to rise. There was a double bed that looked extremely soft; Beth made her way around to the other side of the it and Daryl paused. "I'll take the floor."

"Daryl, we can share the bed. Nothing has to happen. And anyway, you keep me warm." Beth rolled her eyes, giggling at him. She removed her cardigan, her jeans, her socks and shoes and was left in a small tank and her panties. She turned around and found him staring at her with wide eyes. "Come on Daryl. You've seen me naked before." He cautiously removed his vest, his pants followed by his socks and shoes. At that point Beth had already slipped herself into the silky sheets, tucking herself in and watching Daryl intently. He also removed the covers and and got inside of the sheets; the weight shifted and Beth smiled lazily at him. Daryl hated t admit it but this was extremely comfortable.

Beth found it endearing, the way he looked at her. She scooted closer to Daryl and wrapped her hands around his torso, her head on his chest, listening to the slow rhythm of his heart, Feeling his warm, hard body. Daryl pulled her closer to him, if that was even possible. His head was resting atop hers and he could smell her scent; honey, vanilla and simply Beth. Running his hand through her hair and kissing the top of her head, he sighed contently. The heat was radiating between them and he couldn't get enough, enough of this petite blonde girl, enough of Beth Greene. He was shocked at first that she had actually wanted him; he was half wolf for christ sake.

Beth moved her head so that she was gazing up at Daryl; his musky scent of the outdoors, leather and something she couldn't place that was just so Daryl. He looked down at her vibrant blue eyes and Beth just kissed his chest traced lazy patterns all over his skin that was surprisingly soft. "Goodnight, Daryl." She pulled the duvet right up over both of them and snuggled up against him.

"G'night Beth. Sorry fer being a dick." He muttered after a pause. She reached down and interlaced their fingers, she squeezed his hands in reassurance.

After a while, her fingers slowed down their movements on him and her breathing evened out in a steady rhythm. He kissed her hair and felt himself drifting out of consciousness.

In the morning, the sun was shining through like a glistening path leading to the heavens. Beth's eyelids fluttered open and she stirred. Surprisingly, she had awoken first which was surprising for the hunter. She noticed that they had moved in their sleep; Daryl's head was placed in the crook of her neck that joined to her shoulder, she could feel his warm breath tickling her skin. He had also wrapped her into him a lot tighter and was snoring softly. Beth reached out to push his hair out of his eyes. She watched him for a moment before she decided to relish in the feel of Daryl holding her to him, before he woke up and pulled away. He must be having a deep sleep for a change for him to be still sleeping so peacefully.

She guessed about ten minutes had passed when she felt him stirring beside her. His eyelids were fluttering, like butterfly wings on her skin and she could tell he was awake now. Daryl mumbled something incoherent and moved his head slightly, wincing at the ache in his neck.

"Good Morning sleepyhead." Beth smiled at him, he looked exhausted, he resembled a teenager who had just been told they had to get up; pouting at her, which is unlike Daryl. He sighed and gave her a half smile.

"Mornin'" he said, his voice laced with sleep. He grabbed the cover and pulled it up and around him, nuzzling back into her neck.

Beth laughed at him, "you going back to sleep?" She asked as she ran her hands through his hair and tickled his side.

"Mmm. I wanna, M'tired."

"You feeling okay, Daryl?" Beth asked, her eyebrows knitting together in concern.

"M'fine, S'jus' when I change a lot, I jus' need sleep s'all." Daryl explained. He didn't want to admit to her that he didn't feel too good, he didn't want to seem weak and be a burden. He just convinced himself that he was fine, and that he was just exhausted.

"Oh. Well go back to sleep for a bit then, I'll stay here." She smiled softly, continuing to soothe him by trailing her finger tips through his hair and over his puckered skin. He secretly loved the feel of her touching him like that, he was used to being defensive once it came to physical contact and feeling a burning sensation, but this felt like heaven. He fell asleep again and Beth vowed that she would take care of Daryl. She had developed strong feelings for him. She snuggled more against Daryl and continued to lie with him until he woke up.

A few hours had passed and Daryl had woken up again. He felt even worse this time and as soon as he started to stir again, Beth snapped her eyes to his. Beth knew something was wrong just by looking at him; his eyes were a lighter shade of blue and his skin had paled. Immediately she was concerned. Daryl looked up at her, trying to come across as normal as possible.

"Daryl, what's wrong?" Her eyes frantic, they had become huge.

"M'fine, Gonna go hunting." He told her before he was sat up, putting his boots on.

"Daryl… You can't go out if your sick!" She pleaded to him. "Please Daryl, Listen to me."

"I ain't sick, M'gonna get us some food 'cause if I don', we won' eat." And with that, he stood up to get dressed.

Once Daryl was fully clothed, he was moving towards the bedroom door.

"Daryl. This is ridiculous! We can skip one meal if it means that you won't make yourself worse!" Beth was raising her voice at him, trying to get him to turn back.

"I'll be back in a few hours." He said before he started to descend the stairs.

"Daryl Dixon!" She screamed before she set out to follow him, she hurriedly put on her jeans and threw on her sweater; forgetting her shoes as she all but ran after him. She just hoped and prayed that he didn't change into a wolf and run off into the woods because he knew she would follow him otherwise. If he changed form, he could make himself worse off and Beth couldn't chase him, she was nowhere near as fast. Being sick in the zombie apocalypse was not something to take lightly, Daryl was just stubborn. She couldn't let anything happen to him, she could not lose Daryl, he was all she had left and she loved him way too much.


	6. Chapter 6 - Sickness

**The second part of this chapter will be up soon guys! **

Chapter 6- Sickness

Beth had stepped out into the forest when she spotted him, he was stood near a tree. Having the tracking and hunting skills that he did, he heard her approaching him. She felt a pang of relief once she knew that he hadn't ran away.

"The hell ya doin' out 'ere! I'm tryin' ta take a piss!" He raised his voice at her, trying to hold back a wince from the pain he felt doing so.

The truth was, Daryl felt even worse, his head was spinning and he felt hot, too hot. His whole body was shaking slightly and he felt exhausted.

"Daryl..." Beth said softly, reaching for his forearm when she approached.

He retracted his hand and stepped back. "Go back inside, I'll be back.." He said gruffly, motioning towards the direction she came in.

She sighed, shaking her head in defeat, knowing that he was too stubborn to listen to her. "Fine. But be careful" she said to which he scoffed. Beth started walking away slowly on bare foot when Daryl placed his hand over his eyes. He was sweating and he swore that he had never felt this bad in a while. Daryl knew what it was though; he wanted Beth Greene so much that he was holding back from changing because he didn't want to hurt her. This and the fact that he hadn't turned since the Prison was taking a toll on him and this had only ever happened to him once when he was not turning at school. He scoffed at the foul memory.

"_Ya just need fresh air" _he told himself as he tried to stop the pounding in his head that was already getting worse by the second, making his eyesight blurry. He leaned onto the tree for more support now; standing up for dear life when suddenly he felt his muscles become slack and the last thing he saw was black.

Beth heard a thud and froze where she was. "Daryl?"

No answer. "Daryl?!" She called, this time more demanding. There was a dead silence and Beth started to panic. She turned back around and walked as fast as she could manage towards where he was. She saw him, lead on the ground breathing quickly and she figured that he must of blacked out. She had no idea what this was; whether it was dehydration, exhaustion, lack of food or just a genuine virus and she was scared. Scared that she would lose Daryl, the person she had fallen for, hard. It was just him and her and she needed to act fast in order to help him.

She rushed down to his side and placed her hand onto his shoulder, shaking him lightly. "Daryl, Daryl please wake up." She pleaded as her eyes filled with tears. There was no response, just him breathing. He still had a strong pulse and Beth was slightly relieved at that. She slowly lifted him up, putting his arm around her shoulder and her arm around his waist; supporting him. He was heavier when unconscious, and she had to stay level headed in order not to get herself in a state. She carried him slowly through the forest and back towards the cabin.

When Daryl woke up, he felt even worse than he did before he passed out. His head was less dizzy but he felt sick. He looked around the room frantically, looking for Beth and noticed that he was in the cabin; lead on the bed.

"Beth-" he choked out, weakly. As if on cue, Beth opened the door and her eyes widened when she saw him awake. His eyes were not as piercing; the blue was more of a faded blue now. She stood next to him and placed a cold cloth on his head, smiling softly which immediately relaxed him. Feeling the bile start to rise up in his throat, he squeezed his eyes tight and Beth looked at him questioningly.

"M' gonna be sick." He growled. Beth picked up the trashcan and placed it underneath him as he emptied his stomach contents into the can.

Beth just rubbed circles into his back as she soothed him. "That's it, that's it. You're gonna be okay." She said, calmly. Once he was finished, he let her lower him back down, clearly too weak to argue with her. Daryl lead back down and felt cold now, pulling the blanket up over him. Beth tucked it around his form and he grunted. He felt slightly better that he had gotten that out of his system but now he just felt cold and tired. He hated showing this side of him to Beth, having to be taken care of like a little bitch. Beth didn't like it either, seeing Daryl vulnerable and sick made her chest tighten for him. She shook her head; she couldn't cry again.

"Beth... Ya shouldn'ta carried me back here, somethin' coulda happened." He rasped out, noticing the remains of tears on her cheeks. He was confused as to why she had been crying as he looked at her with pain filled eyes. She walked towards the other side of the bed before climbing onto it and sitting down next to him.

"What are you talking about? I couldn't just leave you there, Daryl. As stubborn as you are, People care about you- I care about you! Way too much to let you die! If you can't see that by now-"

Her ramblings were cut short when he reached for her, squeezing her hand lightly, wincing as he did so. She stopped mid sentence and just looked at him, with eyes the size of saucers and that was when he realised it; she was truly terrified of losing him. Beth now had a few stray tears leaking from her eyes.

"Hey.." He said softly, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. "C'mere.."

She nodded snd moved so that she was tucked up into his side, looking up at him. He swiped the remaining tear away with the pad of his thumb and put his arm on her waist gently. "I'm sorry. I ain't going anywhere, Beth." He said, kissing her forehead, his limbs still shaking slightly.

"I can't lose you, Daryl. You don't understand how much you mean to me." She admitted, her face flushed. He smiled slightly, Daryl knew Beth wasn't lying, she was always so sincere. He felt his heart swell at her words and just held her tighter. He decided that he would never be apart from this girl, even when the group reunited he would stay near Beth Greene.

Beth moved slightly, getting io from the bed. "I'm just gonna get your antibiotics, you feeling better?" She asked.

Daryl nodded and added "Don' get me pills Beth. I don' need 'em"

Beth sighed. "Yes, you do Daryl. You need to recover, I need to be sure you're okay." She said, smiling at him shyly. He knew that she was concerned; he tried to cover up his fear at the fact that later on he will probably experience severe scorching pains in his muscles and bones as they shift around in his body. He had these shifts the previous time and he knew that he had to prepare for them later on tonight. He wouldn't tell Beth that though, she would just worry even more than she had to. He just had to get as much sleep as possible so that he wouldn't lose sleep tonight.

"Naw, I ain't sick." He paused for a moment "S' a wolf thing."

Beth appeared perplexed as she processed what he just told her. She turned around to fully face him. "What?"

"You heard."

"Yeah but Daryl, What wolf thing?" She asked, quoting his earlier words.

He seemed to be struggling with his words. "If I haven't turned in a while, It ain't good fer me- ta hold back I mean." He stuttered.

"So you don't have a virus? Why have you stopped turning, Daryl?" It was hard for her to process this information.

Daryl shook his head no. "I haven' turned since the farm" he said before mumbling something else, barely audible.

"What was that last part?" Beth asked.

"I didn' wanna hurt ya, Beth. We ain't supposed ta be friendly." Daryl said, bowing his head.

Beth moved closer to him. "Daryl, you saved me, twice. And you still protect me and I know you always will. If you were dangerous I don't thunk you would have saved me. You're still you and you gotta stay who you are, not who you were." She whispered, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly.

"S' not jus' that. When I see ya when m' in ma other form" he was chewing his thumb nervously, clearly out of his comfort zone. "I want ya jus' as much an' I don' wanna hurt ya."

She giggled and grinned at him. "You're so cute, Daryl."

He scoffed and grunted "I sure as hell ain't cute."

"You think you'll hurt me because you want me and... I don't know... want to... Mate with me?" She asked smiling at him brightly. "I trust you Daryl. You would never hurt me. You turn when you need to."

Daryl smirked at her. "Ya sure?" He asked, his eyes searching hers.

"Yes Daryl, I promise. Now you need to rest and get better. I'm going to go and try to start that fire in there" she motioned towards the door with her hand. "Do you need anything?"

"Naw."

Beth had just reached the door and was turning the handle when Daryl called out. "Beth?" She turned around to look at him, tucked into the bed. She thought he looked really adorable like this, but she would never admit that to him.

"Stay..." He spoke, softer than he usually did. She stepped around the bed and peeled the blanket back off of the mattress. Beth removed her cardigan and removed her jeans and put some jogging bottoms on before slipping inside of the cool material. She moved close beside Daryl again and lead on her side; resting on an elbow so that she was looking at him. He reached out and placed his hand back onto her hip, feeling the silk soft skin there.

"How long have you been like this, Daryl?"

His eyes snapped up to hers and he rubbed his fingers over his stubble; in thought. "Fer s'long as I can 'member." He shrugged.

"So you were born like it? That's amazing." She said, gazing up at him.

"Nah it ain't. Jus' got used ta it."

"I'd love to be like you, Daryl. I thinks it's a gift and it's special." She said warmly. He gave her a half smile before closing his eyes. She looked at him like he hung the moon and stars and he knew that he didn't deserve her but in this moment he couldn't care. He was selfish for it but he needed Beth Greene, she brought him out of the dark and he didn't think he could survive without her.

"'ve never met anyone like you, Greene." He smirked. She grinned at him and rested her head onto his chest.

Eventually Daryl's breathing evened out and he was snoring softly. His chest rising and falling rhythmically with each breath and it calmed Beth. She stayed with him like she said she would. Daryl had to recover and she wanted him to rest as much as possible until he was himself again.

Beth woke up when it was dark; the moon was full and high in the sky at this point, shining in through the window. She was no longer lead on Daryl's chest; his side of the bed was empty and being that she had awoken to a noise, she started to panic. She could hear a soft thudding sound and got out of bed, in a bra and jogging bottoms, grabbing her sweater as she quickly walked down the stairs to where the sound was coming from.

She was surprised to see Daryl curled into a foetal position on the floor in the middle of the dim, candle-lit room , breathing rapidly, in a lot of pain. Beth all but ran over to him and crouched down next to him.

"Daryl! What's wrong?" She said frantically.

He looked up at her, trying and failing to hide his pained expression. There were streaks of tears on his cheeks and some brimming In his eyes.

"Beth- Ya need- ta go…" he managed out, panting heavily.

"No! What's wrong?"

"S' Nothin'"

Beth scoffed. "Daryl, this isn't nothing! What's Happening to you?"

"S' ma bones an' shit.. Told ya I haven' changed in a whil-" he was cut off by what looked like some sort of seizure in his body, shaking there was a loud crack and his back started shifting in weird non-human ways. More tears escaped his eyes as he cried out in pain, breathing heavily as sobs wracked his form. Beth had never seen him in such a state. It brought tears to her eyes. She wiped them away as they blurred in her eyes. She wiped them away and traced her hands over his skin.

"D- Daryl, W- what do I do?" She sobbed. "I don't know what to do!" She cried.

As his tremor passed, he turned slowly to look at her, still panting. "Go. Ya need ta go." He choked out, but she shook her head.

"I'm not leaving you Daryl." She replied.

He felt another sharp pain shoot through his limbs as he shifted in and out. Scared he would kick out at her he snapped at her through the unbearable agony "Beth jus' go, I'll hurt ya!"

"No!" She shifted so that she was sat on her knees on the floor and moved his head gently so that it rested in her lap. "I'm staying with you."

"Beth-" he coughed out before she cut him off; gently placing her fingers on his lips, silencing him. She started to stroke his head, still crying softly because she knew how much this was torturing him. Beth wanted to take some of his pain away, she felt physically sick at the thought of how much pain he was in right now; he had been through so much today already. She just held him as strongly as she could, absorbing some of the discomfort.

Glancing down at his fists that were clenching and unclenching, Beth noticed that he had clenched them so tight that he drew blood on the centre of them, at the joints of his fingers and palms. She gently opened them up and looked at the scarlet coloured blood that was much lighter that normal human blood dripping onto his tanned skin. It glistened and Beth gathered that it was due to him being a wolf; it looked oddly beautiful. Beth was fascinated and swiped the liquid with the pad of her thumb. Still glittery on her thumb now, she had a sudden urge to taste it. As her eyebrows knitted together, she brought her thumb to her lips and tasted it. Surprisingly, it tasted sweet, almost sugary. Not the usual iron taste that human blood possessed.

Beth just continued to hold him all night, bushing her hands over his skin and hair as he experienced the tremors running through his body. She brushed his tears away, metaphorically taking his torment away as he cried out here and there from the pain.


End file.
